Aussie High Comm responds to viral tweet of M’sians denied boarding plane to Perth

Earlier this week, the story of six young Malaysian women who were forbidden from boarding a plane to Perth after apparently being “profiled” went viral on Twitter.

Now it appears that the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia has responded to the tweets.

Andrew Goledzinowski clarified to @reenzahari that Malaysians ARE NOT being profiled by airline liaison officers (ALOs).

But some come to work illegally or to overstay. (Unfortunately Malaysia is currently #1 in this category.) Our ALOs are well trained & experienced at spotting theses, helping to prevent hundreds of breaches.

— Andrew Goledzinowski (@AusHCMalaysia) August 8, 2019

He further explained that even though the ALOs are well trained and experienced in spotting those intending to work illegally or overstay, no system is perfect.

No system is perfect. But it works. And it’s not about “profiling”. ATM, M’sia is one of only 4 countries in Asia that get visas online (ETAs). We want to maintain that status. But it means we HAVE to pay attention to who is coming to 🇦🇺 and for what purpose.

— Andrew Goledzinowski (@AusHCMalaysia) August 8, 2019

While most netizens are still perturbed over the issue, there are some who have decided to make their own necessary arrangements to help ensure they don’t face the same fate as @reenzahari.

Twitter user @NadiaAzlan shared several tips with her followers on how she prepares for her trip when visiting Australia.

Profilers biasanya aim solo travelers dan travelers muda. Kalau pergi dengan family, senang je nak lepas. Tips untuk orang muda yang nak ke Australia, bawak la cash banyak sikit. Nak backpacking boleh, tapi kalau kena tanya how much money you bawak, susah la nak lepas.

— Nadia Azlan (@NadiaAzlan) August 6, 2019

“Profilers usually aim for solo travelers and young travelers. If you go with your family, it’s much easier to get past. Tips for young travelers going to Australia: bring a little bit more cash. If you wanna backpack, you can, but if you get asked how much money you have on hand, it’s gonna be tough for you.”

Here is food & medicine declaration template yg saya buat masa travel with my family of 8. Feel free to download and pakai untuk rujukan. I dont always bring food sebab sangat senang nak cari makanan di Aussie. Tapi travel dengan family ni lain sikit 😂https://t.co/YDRcT1spPY

— Nadia Azlan (@NadiaAzlan) August 6, 2019

@NadiaAzlan encourages those travelling to Australia to do their research on the laws of the country including visiting the country’s border control website.

Since i travel dengan family, i pun bawak food. Tapi i declared all the items i bawak. Type siap2 and print out. Tunjuk list ni je, derang tak bukak beg pun. pic.twitter.com/gMcAssxHvg

— Nadia Azlan (@NadiaAzlan) August 6, 2019

Personally, as @NadiaAzlan often travels with her family, she tends to bring a lot of food with her.

So, she prints out a list of all the items that need to be declared upon arrival in Australia. The practice makes her seem more transparent to immigration officers and helps make the whole process much smoother.

💯 always prepare everything in a folder. Walaupun sekarang semua paperless, i always print out everything. Flight ticket, itinerary, hotel booking, car rental reservation etc.

— Nadia Azlan (@NadiaAzlan) August 6, 2019

Of course, these tips are strictly for those who intend to visit Australia as tourists.

If you’re interested in visiting the country to do one of those working-holiday trips, here’s how you can go about doing that.